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Versaterm Buys Next-Gen 911 Technology Firm Komutel

The latest in a string of acquisitions for the Canadian public safety tech company reflects the push to upgrade emergency dispatch services as well as the hot M&A market for government technology.

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Canada-based Versaterm Public Safety has bought Komutel, a company that sells technology designed to ease the transition to upgraded 911 emergency dispatch services.

Terms were not disclosed.

Komutel, also based in Canada, was founded in 2001 and produces middleware for the ongoing next-generation 911 push, a broad effort in the U.S. and Canada to bring emergency dispatch operations into the digital and mobile era.

Versaterm has been around for about 40 years. The company said it has more than 65,000 police, fire and emergency medical services clients in North America.

According to Versaterm, its latest acquisition target has created a “wide range” of software designed to help emergency services workers better deal with the limits of analog 911 calls, along with custom technology that focuses on the move to next-generation 911 services.

Taken together, all that technology will help Versaterm gain market share as emergency dispatch services in North America become more digital, more precise and more integrated, the company said.

“Komutel is Versaterm’s sixth acquisition since 2020,” said Warren Loomis, Versaterm CEO, in a statement. “All of the new Versaterm entities share a common trait — a proven technology solution to uniquely address the real-world challenges of emergency service professionals. With this acquisition, Versaterm’s support-centric approach now extends into the 911 side of the emergency services communications center where Komutel has set the industry standard for software solutions.”

Along with Komutel, Versaterm since 2020 has bought JusticeTrax, SPIDR Tech, Adashi Systems, eJust Systems and TechVoice.

Versaterm said it anticipates other acquisitions in the coming months — hardly a surprise given not only the increasing popularity of cloud-based and other cutting-edge technology in the public safety space, but also the hot pace of mergers and acquisitions in the larger government technology market. Experts predict that trend to continue into 2022.